STATE OF Arkansas
SENIOR COMMUNITY SERVICE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM
STATE PLAN
2012 - 2015
Prepared By:
Arkansas Department of Human Services
Division of Aging and Adult Services
Table of Contents
Section A – pURPOSE OF THE STATE PLAN 5
SEcTION B – INVOLVEMENT OF ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS 5
SECTION C – SOLICITATION AND COLLECTION OF PUBLIC COMMENTS 6
SECTION D – LONg-term projections for jobs in industries and occu-
pations that may provide employment opprutunities
for older workers………………………………………………………...7
SECTION E – how long-term projections relate to the types of
unsubsidized jobs for which scsep participants will
be training and the types of skill training to be
provided……………………………………………………………………… 8
SECTION F – CURRENT AND PROJECTED EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN
THE STATE AND THE TYPES OF SKILLS POSSESSED BY ELIGIBLE
INDIVIDUALS………………………………………………………………….10
SECTION G – DESCRIPTION OF LOCALITIES AND POPULATIONS FOR WHICH
PROJECTS OF THE TYPE AUTHORIZED BY TITLE V ARE MOST
NEEDED………………………………………………………………..….…… 12
section h – description of actions to coordinate scsep with other
programs…………………………………………………………………... 13
1) planned actions to coordinate activies of scsep
wia title i programs, including plans for using
the wia one-stop delivery system and its partners
t0 serve individuals aged 55 and older…………………….. 13
2) planned actions to coordinate activities of scsep
grantees with the activities being carried out in
arkansas under the other titles of the older
americans act………………………………………………………… 15
3) planned actions to coordinate scsep with other
private and public entities and programs that
provide services to older americans, such as
community and faith-based organizations,
transportation programs, and programs for
those with special needs and disabilities………………….. 16
4) planned actions to coordinate scsep with other
labor market and job training initiatives…...…………… 18
5) actions to ensure that scsep is an active partner
in the one-stop delivery system and the steps the
state will take to encourage and improve
coordination with the one-stop delivery system………. 19
section i – long-term strategy for engaging employers to
develop and promote opportunities for the placement
of scsep participants in unsubsidized employment…...….… 19
section j – arkansas’ long-term strategy for achieving an
equitable distribution of scsep positions within
the state…………………………………………………………………….. 21
1) moves positions from over-served to underserved
locations within arkansas……………………………………….. 21
2) equitably serves rural and urban areas……………….… 22
3) serves individuals afforded priority for service
under 20 cfr 641.520……………………………………………...……. 26
sECTION K – the ration of eligible individuals in each service
area to the total eligible population in the state 28
SECTION l – the relative distribution of eligible individuals who: 28
1) reside iN urban and rural areas within the state….…. 30
2) Have the greatest economic need……………………………. 32
3) are minorities………………………………………………………… 33
4) are limited english proficient………………………………… 34
5) have the greatest social need………………………………... 34
SECTION m – a description of steps taken to avoid disruptions to
the greatest extent possible, when positions are
redistributed, when the new census or other reliable
data become available; or when there is over-
enrollment for any other reason 35
SECTION N – the state’s long-term strategy for serving minority
individuals under scsep 37
SECTION O – community services that are needed and the places
where these services are most needed 38
section P – arkansas’ long term strategy to improve scsep
services, including planned longer-term changes
to the design of the program within the state, and
planned changes in the use of scsep grantees and
program operators to better ahcieve the goals of
the program……………………………………………….……………… 38
section Q – arkansas’ strategy for continuous improvement in
the level of performance for scsep participants’
entry into unsubsidized employment…………………………... 39
sECTION R - APPENDICES .39
appendix 1 – designation of responsibility for development
and submission of the senior community service
employment program state plan………………….…….. 40
aPPENDIX 2 – stakeholder invitations to provide input for
the scsep state plan 42
APPENDIX 3 –PUBLIC COMMENTS received on draft scsep state
plan 51
aPPENDIX 4 – ARKANSAS SCSEP state and national grantee
awards for program year 2012 52
aPPENDIX 5 – ARKANSAs’ County minority data 2005 - 2009 55
STATE OF ARKANSAS
SENIOR COMMUNITY SERVICE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM
STATE PLAN
2012 – 2015
Section A. Purpose of the State Plan.
The 2012 – 2015 State of Arkansas State Plan brings together information gathered by Arkansas’ Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) grantees at the state and local levels that will assist in the long term, strategic view of the Senior Community Service Employment Program activities and the SCSEP’s goal to enhance employment opportunities for older Americans and promote older workers as a solution for businesses seeking a trained, qualified and reliable workforce. The federally funded Senior Community Service Employment Program believes that achieving the American Dream is possible for everyone, regardless of age. SCSEP’s mission is to promote economic self-sufficiency for older individuals who are working to achieve this dream.
The goals of Arkansas’ State Plan are to enhance coordination and integration of the Senior Community Service Employment Program with the Arkansas Workforce System; to ensure that training and employment strategies are based on local market conditions; to provide priority of service to areas and individuals most in need, particularly in the rural areas of Arkansas; to enhance services to increase the placement and retention of SCSEP participants in unsubsidized employment; and to increase public awareness of the Senior Community Service Employment Program and the benefits of hiring older workers.
The Arkansas State Plan identifies employment issues, workforce trends, skill training needs of participants and employers, community service needs, as well as, social service needs.
Section B. Involvement of Organizations and Individuals.
The first step in developing Arkansas’ State Plan was to consult and gain input from Experience Works’ (the State’s Sub-grantee) and the National Grantees operating SCSEP in Arkansas. During the planning process, statewide e-mails initiated by the Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS) solicited participation by the Area Agencies on Aging in Arkansas and state and local boards under the Workforce Investment Act, SCSEP National Grantees operating SCSEP programs in Arkansas, and the Arkansas Chamber of Commerce.
The Department of Human Services, Division of Aging and Adult Services posted a draft of the 2012 – 2015 State Plan on the Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of Aging and Adult Services’ website located at http://humanservices.arkansas.gov/daas/Pages/default.aspx for comments from other social service organizations serving older individuals operating under the Department of Human Services, as well as, other public and private nonprofit agencies providing employment services; community-based organizations serving older individuals; economic development organizations; affected communities; unemployed older individuals; other business and labor organizations; and other interested organizations, individuals, and SCSEP participants. No changes will be made to the Arkansas SCSEP 2012 – 2015 State Plan on the website after it has been submitted and approved by the U. S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
Please see Appendix 2 for e-mails sent to gain input from Arkansas’ SCSEP Sub-grantee and other SCSEP National Grantees operating SCSEP in Arkansas on the State Plan, as well as, other e-mails sent soliciting comments on the State Plan.
Section C. Solicitation and Collection of Public Comments.
Once Arkansas’ “draft” SCSEP State Plan was completed, it was posted on the Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of Aging and Adult Services website for public comments, and for comments from other social service organizations serving older individuals operating under the Arkansas Department of Human Services. This also allowed for comments from unemployed older individuals and other interested organizations and individuals, as well as, public and private nonprofit agencies, community-based organizations, and employment service providers. All stakeholders who were invited to provide input on the SCSEP State Plan were sent the draft and invited to submit comments to the Division of Aging and Adult Services.
SCSEP STATE PLAN 2012 – 2015 PLANNING TIMELINE
ACTIVITIES / APRIL2012 / MAY 2012 / JUNE 2012 / JULY 2012 / AUG 2012 / SEPT
2012
Develop Planning Timeline / X
Obtain Governor’s Signed Statement Delegating State Plan Responsibility to DAAS / X
Disseminate 2012 – 2015 New State Plan Requirements to Grantees for their Input / X
Develop State Plan / X / X / X
Disseminate draft of 2012 – 2015 State Plan to Grantees for Their Review / X
Disseminate 2012 – 2015 State Plan for Public Comment / X
Submit 2012 -2015 State Plan to Department of Labor / X
See Appendix 3 for copies of public comments.
Section D. Long-term projections for jobs in industries and occupations that may provide employment opportunities for older workers.
In order to identify long-term employment projections for jobs in industries and occupations in Arkansas that may provide employment opportunities for older workers, the State and National Grantees offer the following:
Various methods will be used in order to identify how those long-term employment projections for jobs in industries and occupations in the state relate to the types of unsubsidized jobs for which SCSEP participants will be trained and the types of skill training to be provided.
Department of Labor statistics will be used to identify areas of highest unemployment and then attention will be focused on those low employment prospects within that area. AARP Project Directors will work closely with the One-Stop Centers in their areas to discern opportunities. AARP will have one Area Manager to open dialog with private for-profit companies in an effort to encourage the hiring of participants for long-term employment.
State and National Grantees will collaborate with the Arkansas Workforce in order to obtain information from labor market environment scans to pinpoint untapped labor pools that would be a good fit for older workers. State and National Grantees can obtain extensive labor market information through the Department of Workforce Services on their “Discover Arkansas” website where LMI publications and updates which are readily available for the state, as well as, specific regions. Experience Works’ staff will work to build strong relationships with regional managers of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission so they can stay informed with new industry trends across the state that could affect employment opportunities in their respective areas of the state.
As previously mentioned, employer outreach will be utilized to identify high growth and in demand jobs. Employers have always been and will continue to be key strategic partners. Experience Works’ frontline staff (Employment and Training Coordinators - ETCs), are their primary link to employers. ETCs will meet with employers to discuss their hiring status, practices, and specific skills required for upcoming job openings. Experience Works trains their staff to work closely with employers in their areas to determine their hiring patterns, the skills and training they look for when hiring, and their feelings toward hiring older workers.
State and National Grantees, if they aren’t already, will work on being integrated in the community as active members of State and/or local Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs), one-stop committees, economic development councils, chambers of commerce, and other employer-focused entities. These linkages provide current labor market information and opportunities to network and form partnerships with employers. Experience Works’ field staff will be active members of human resource management, as well as, workforce, training, and career development organizations which provide opportunities for them to work alongside hiring managers on local, regional and state initiatives focused in improving local labor markets in preparation for emerging industries and sector jobs. Direct involvement with these various organizations will put them at the forefront when decisions are being made about ways to expand local employment opportunities within communities and regions and when employers move into the area offering new employment opportunities for SCSEP participants.
The National Caucus and Center on Black Aged will make sure that they recruit participants with the skills employers need or that can be trained to fit the employers’ needs.
Section E. How long-term projections relate to the types of unsubsidized jobs for which SCSEP participants will be training and the types of skill training to be provided.
Based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ employment outlook through 2020, in-demand jobs suitable for SCSEP participants include home health aide and personal care, office clerk, receptionist, customer service representative, tractor-trailer truck driver, childcare worker, bookkeeping and accounting worker, food preparation and server, retail sales person, cashier, and maintenance. The Department of Workforce Services’ Projected Employment Opportunities List, 2011-2012, which also utilizes information from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, identifies these same jobs as high growth occupations in the State of Arkansas, as well. This list provides specific information for each geographic area within the State that can be used to identify employment opportunities local participants can be trained for and skills that need to be included in a participant’s Individual Employment Plans (IEPs).
Experience Works developed a strong partnership with the Schmieding Center which operates in conjunction with the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences’ (UAMS) Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging and the Northwest Health System to provide additional training to participants interested in home health aide and personal care positions through their Certified Home Caregiver Training Program. The Schmieding Center has expanded their training locations so that training can be offered around the state in central, northeast and southwest Arkansas, as well as, the Delta.
Teknimedia and JobReady programs have been excellent resources for participants needing training for office clerk, receptionist and customer services positions. Experience Works has worked with a number of host agencies to provide training to participants to prepare them for food preparation, server, childcare worker, retail sales, and cashier positions such as Helping Hands in Wynne, the Boys and Girls Club of Drew County in Monticello, the Learning Center in Newport, Parkin Adult Daycare & Thrift Store, and a number of senior centers across the state. Experience Works will continue to utilize the Teknimedia and JobReady programs as resources for participants.
This process begins with the very first assessment. A goal of the initial assessment is to show participants that they have valuable skills and experience that can build toward a locally available job.